When a serial killer is caught, it is not unusual for the killer’s friends and family to be shocked, saying “He/she was such a normal person!” So what identifies a serial killer?

Can we figure out if someone is one, and perhaps stop them before they go on their killing spree?

Who are These Killers?

Hannibal Lector, popular fictional killer.

What are the markings of a serial killer? How do you know if you work with one? If your neighbour is one? If you live with one? If you ARE one?

As a snapshot, a serial killer is defined (usually but not always) as someone who has killed more than three people. More than 80 percent of serial killers are male, Caucasian and in their 20s or 30’s… they are normally about average intelligence, with the exception of the really, really smart ones (Jeffery Dahmer, who raped, murdered, dismembered and ate 17 men and boys had an IQ of 145, and Harold Shipman, a British doctor who reportedly killed 250+ people by poison had an IQ of 140).

The majority of serial killer’s are sociopaths. But not every sociopath is a serial killer – not even close. Most serial killers are organised and antisocial.

There Have Been a Lot

Harold shipman, a killer with a higher IQ - 140

In the last 114 years, or the last 11 decades, the 1980s were the busiest for serial killers. There were a recorded 765 serial killers throughout the world in that decade. Interestingly, 603 of those serial killers came from the United States of America, with 162 others being classified as “international”. Due to the large number in the US, we’ll focus mainly on there. The following statistics come from the Radford University Serial Killer Database - who knew there was a database! You just have to kill a couple of people to become a statistic!

The majority of serial killers in the past 11 decades have been men - by a long shot! The actual figures show that there have been 3029 male serial killers and only 309 females. The main reason recorded for these people to commit their terrible deeds is due to the enjoyment of it. They find it a thrill, they find it sexually satisfying, and they find it powerful. The second highest reason was for financial gain, followed by anger, gang activity, to avoid arrest, for attention, for convenience, due to hallucinations, and because they were in a cult. Then there are those who fit in several of those categories – 176 people murdered for several different reasons.

Surprisingly, the average IQ of a serial killer is 94.1. All those stories you hear, and the movies you see, which displays serial killers as being genius’ aren’t correct (quid pro quo Clarice…) The highest IQ of a serial killer recorded is 165 – that is high enough to be in Mensa, but it’s not the norm. The lowest IQ was only 54 – which is definitely on the mental retardation spectrum.

How They Prefer to Kill

Jeffrey Dahmer in high school.

The most popular method for a serial killer to murder someone is with a gun, followed quickly by strangulation. The least popular method is poison.

More do not rape their victims than do, but to be honest, the difference is only .5 of a percent, which again goes back to the sexual satisfaction of watching the life drain out of somebody’s eyes.

Most of the serial killers in this study were organised and knew what they were doing. And most killed more than five people.

Only 23% of serial killers had some form of military service, and none of the female serial killers had military service. So the military cannot be blamed.

Serial killers by country are listed as follows, for the past 11 decades:

Serial killers are more likely to be in their late teens to early thirties, and their victims are more often white females.

In the United States, those living in California are more likely to be the victims of a serial killer, with Florida coming in second – Dexter wasn’t wrong! In population ranking, Florida is actually the fourth in population (according to 2010 statistics), so per capita, Florida probably wins.

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